Avalanche Look to Secure Back-To-Back Win Against the Stars

After taking the first game in Dallas, the Colorado Avalanche head home to face the Dallas Stars in the second leg of their home-and-home series.

The “NHL Frozen Frenzy” really took hold in last night's game, as there was chaos all over it; from start to finish, there was no quiet moment to spare.

Not only did we see Nathan MacKinnon drop the gloves again, for the second time in six games, but we also saw Fedor Svechov record his first career NHL fight and show why he can really shine in this bottom-six.

It was also a game of last-minute lineup changes for both teams. It started with Cale Makar not in the lineup because he was heading home to help his wife with the arrival of their new twins. Then Zachary L’Heureux was scratched late for a surprise upper-body injury.

It hurt the Stars as well, as Wyatt Johnston was a late scratch due to an illness that not only impacted last night's game but will be out of the second game. The Stars do expect to get Joel Kiviranta back into the lineup after dealing with an injury. It will be his first game against the Avalanche since April 2023.

The biggest takeaway of the night was Mackenzie Blackwood's performance and his ability to bounce back from the disappointing loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He stopped 24 of 26 shots and made multiple big saves, including a highlight-reel stop on Roope Hintz when he got a breakaway from a brutal Sam Malinski turnover.

Despite being less than 10 games into the season, it was almost a must-win for Blackwood, given his performance. Despite the offense performing well and the defense playing lackluster at times, Blackwood's game showed cracks that were exposed against the Leafs, but it was a much-needed showing against a great team to instill confidence not only in himself but also in the fan base.

Wedgewood Looks To Close Out Divisional Matchup

While much credit must be given to Blackwood's play in game 1, Scott Wedgewood can play a huge role in closing out this back-to-back against the Stars and help the Avalanche go up 2-0 in their season head-to-head matchup.

Starting in just his second game of the season, he faces a much tougher task than in his debut against the Calgary Flames, which ended 7-3. Both teams are “tired,” as it will be a back-to-back, and the Stars won’t get any better with Johnston still out, but there is the fear of Kiviranta and his performances against the Avalanche.

For Colorado, if it can play as it did against Blackwood, it should be the same result Wednesday night, if not better, with the Stars rolling out Casey DeSmith. Despite losing in his season debut against the Nashville Predators, he played well. The Avalanche are not the Predators, and DeSmith is not on the same level as Jake Oettinger.

It will be a massive win for Wedgewood if he can help secure this win against a strong opponent and kick off his 2026-27 season on a great note, instilling confidence that he can help recreate some of the performance he showed last season.

Puck drop is scheduled for 6:38 p.m. MT and will be broadcast nationally on TNT. 

Projected Avalanche Lines (Subject to Change)

Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Necas
Gabriel Landeskog — Brock Nelson — Nazem Kadri
Jaden Schwartz — Fedor Svechkov — T.J. Hughes
Zachary L’Heureux — Nicolas Roy — Parker Kelly

Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Brett Kulak — Sam Malinski
Josh Manson — Brent Burns

Scott Wedgewood
Mackenzie Blackwood

Projected Starters (Subject to Change)

• Confirmed: Mackenzie Blackwood (COL)
• Confirmed: Jake Oettinger (DAL)